In-N-Out

Today was my official last day of indulging in San Francisco food. After attending a marketing summit all day I was famished and ready to treat myself. After dozens of trips to California, I decided this was finally the time to try the famed In-N-Out burger. I walked about 3/4 miles to the In-N-Out off of Millbrae (at least I got some exercise before and after!) and got markedly excited as I saw the recognized logo come into view.

The first thing that surprised me was the very limited menu. The second thing that surprised me was the "secret menu". I wouldn't have known about it had I not struck up a conversation with a local who was also waiting for his food. You can basically order your food in combinations not shown on the menu. The third thing that surprised me was seeing the calories listed next to the food items. I soon learned that it's a law in Cali for food establishments with more than 10 locations (or something like that). So, instead of the Double Double I intended to get, I opted for the regular burger and fries.

Burger and Fries

Better angle on the burger

So my verdict...In-N-Out lives up to the hype. The burger has a "just off the BBQ" taste. I love that they toast the bun. The fries are definitely unique and actually taste like real potatoes. Here's the deal though, it's not the best burger I've ever had. HOWEVER, in the context of fast food, yes, it's among the best! That being said though I wasn't impressed with the length of time it took to get my food. It took nearly 15 minutes from the time I ordered to the time I got my food. I'd expect this of a casual sit-down place, but I do think In-N-Out is considered fast food and I just don't think it was very fast. Good thing I had downtime and nowhere else to be or I would've quickly become frustrated and exasperated.  The staff, however, did compensate for the wait. The staff at the Millbrae location was fun and very attentive. It's definitely a burger worth trying!